Death Note vol. 2 As L steps up the game so does Light by taking out the FBI agents assigned to the case. One particular fiancé of disposed of FBI agent Ray Penbar starts to put the pieces of her fiancés death together and just happens by chance to meet Light before any members of the Task Force. Who is she, and how can Light outwit her without revealing himself or allowing her to reveal what she knows. Since the deceased FBI agents were only trailing Task Force family L ask permission to bug the Yagami household, to keep an eye on Light in particular. Ryuk informs light of the surveillance, ,which he suspects when finding his door trap spring and not put back properly. Light has to take his game to the next level to take care of both situations.
This volume, while only the second does step up the storytelling as Light has to take on Ray’s fiancé, Naomi Misora and eliminate not a criminal, but someone out for rightful justice. Light begins his decent that was inevitable once he took up the notebook. It’s easy to murder once it’s your ass on the line. Needless to say Kira takes care of this little issue only to be faced with a wired house. This issue, solved by using a small LCD TV in a bag of chips. Look like he’s studying while getting criminals on the small TV while being observed as not watching the news shows. Good tactic which is assisted by Ryuk since he can’t eat apples with all the wires around. What is intriguing about volume 2 is the challenge Light faces, two instances he did not expect, one of which moves him closer to the criminals he looks to eliminate.
Death Note vol. 3 A new Kira, one with the ability to see with the Shinigami eyes and who is not afraid to murder innocents. L revealed, but not L’s name. As Light begins his entrance exams and scores the highest possible, he has competition, L. Under an assumed name, that of a famous actor, L introduces himself to Light, a very calculated and unexpected move. The two cats engage in an intense tennis match which epitomizes their back and forth relationship. As L takes Light into the fold, inside the Task Force, it’s a secondary Kira that troubles Light. This new Kira murders a task force member, a news anchor and police officers as they arrive at the studio. Who is the new Kira, and what do they want, why are they trying to contact Light and just how stupid can they be to reveal messages about Shinigami on the air?
Where volume 2 challenged Light in a manner that he resolved with minimal effort volume 3 weaves a web that will not be as easy to escape from. L’s reveal carries with it a measured risk, one that Light is determined to turn in his favor until a lovesick aspiring teen idol gains her very own death note. This new twist and a new protective Shinigami, Rem, who threatens Lights just adds to the drama. This story is not resolved so easily and unlike volume 2 you will not be able to wait for volume 4. I still prefer the manga as it allows for the story to be fleshed out more, but the anime is pure bliss for those otaku with a twisted sense of justice. Death Note is a delicious guilty pleasure.
